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Fleet Action Fan Project Launches New Website Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

For the past two and a half years, Arrean has been working on his Wing Commander themed strategy/tactics game Spaceships Universe which puts players in control of Terran and Kilrathi fleet operations. We check in on his progress periodically, with new screenshots or videos of his Unity based tribute to Wing Commander. Now that a playable alpha test is in the works, Arraen has set up a dedicated website for his project where he can consolidate background information and teaser media. You can find the website at SpaceshipsUniverse.com.

Capship Strategy Mod Teases Alpha Playtest Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has posted a new preview movie for his Wing Commander mod, Spaceship Universe. We see quite a few of the game's mainstay Southampton and Ralari destroyers as well as other support ships and a Confed station. There's pretty good engine effects and camera work here, which just makes us even more anxious to see what it looks like when the Confed and Kilrathi fleets meet in battle! Such a gameplay video is in the works as is a playable alpha test.
I made a new promo video with description of features.

Sweep Around WC Capship Sim's Starships Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has pulled together a neat video that shows off the remodeled fleet of his strategy game, WC Spaceship Universe. Each of his four workhorses are encircled so that fans can see them cruising through space in his Unity engine. The project has gone through a few evolutionary upgrades that have stretched out the development timeline, but the results evident now look pretty good!
Hey, guys! I want to show you quick video with flight-ready ships. You can see updated models from Klavs81's pack. E.g. I added some turrets for venture and ralari, lights and engines exhausts. Also I made turrets as separate objects so they are fully operational.

Capship Combat Mod Has New Ships & A New Name Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has posted some new images from his starship combat tribute mod. He's retextured two of Klavs' destroyers to act as workhorses of the Confed and Kilrathi fleets, and both of these are quite solid. In order to create a counter to the Venture, he's also beefed up the Jalkehi to act as a type of light corvette. The ships are arranged in the game's built-in ship viewer, which has a pretty cool format. We're looking forward to seeing these in action soon!
Ok, finally I finished with updating Klavs81's models, adding textures and splitting them onto pieces such as turrets, missiles, bridges etc. For now I have 4 ships ready: the Venture, Southampton, Jalkehi and Ralari.

I'm trying to keep the same classes for both sides. Unfortunately, Klavs81's pack doesn't contain any Kilrathi corvettes. So I decided to "upgrade" the heavy fighter Jalkehi into a corvette class. Anyway she has similar tasks and equipped with jump drive. What do you think, guys? Also the project has a new name: Spaceships Universe. :) Since it is not a strategic game, but online capital ship simulator, I thought the word "tactics" didn't fit here.

Starship Tactics Is Upgrading Its Starships Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen popped in to share some news with fans of his Wing Commander strategy mod, Starship Tactics. He laments the fact that development has now continued for more than two years, although that leaves out the fact that he had to suspend his work on the game through most of 2014 due to the war in his home country of Ukraine. The new screenshot below shows off two very different types of ships, but Arraen is planning to integrate more of Klavs' designs in the future, which might help some aesthetic uniformity. Most of the core gameplay aspects are complete, so after the ships get polished a bit, it's on to testing!
Work in progress. Now I'm importing Klavs81's models to game. For example this is his Venture corvette. I hope soon I'll have working alpha build and start active testing. It is almost 2 years of development now. From this perspective it's like a Star Citizen but unfortunately I don't have $100kk like Chris Roberts has :)

Annual Community Vote Begins! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

We've left 2015 in the past, but there's one more thing to do as we move further into 2016. You've sent nominations in over the past month, and now we're kicking off our annual awards to recognize the fan projects and websites that had some of the most impact over the past year. We had an even larger number of worthy projects this year than normal, and we definitely wanted to get this out before the end of January, so excuse the brief listings of each choice. Although we'll end up with just a few winners, we appreciate what everyone here - plus all of the others keeping things going daily basis - have done for the community. On to the voting!

First Glimpse Of The 'Starship Tactics' Fralthi Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has had a busy summer adding lots of Confed ships to his strategy mod. Now it's time to start bulking up the Kilrathi fleet, and fans have been clamoring for a Fralthi to give the kat forces some muscle. The shot below is the first teaser of the new enemy light cruiser in the game. You can see it fly by in motion here (19 MB gif).
Work in progress. Small teaser for Fralthi cruiser of Kilrathi Empire

Capship Combat Combines With Small Scale Shooter Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has released a pair of new photos featuring a Rapier II circling the Concordia. He notes that his strategy game, Starship Tactics, is about fleet engagements, but he couldn't resist putting Klavs' slick fighter into the mod. The Venture, Kamrani and Tallahassee are already playable, and the Fralthi or Ralari are potentially up next. If you have a preference, let Arraen know at the CIC Forums!
So next video will be about killing Terrans :)

Strategy Mod Demonstrates Cruiser Engagement Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has posted the second preview video for his Wing Commander strategy mod, Starship Tactics. It features the Tallahassee cruiser dominating a battlespace dotted with Kilrathi transports and corvettes. The Dorkirs don't stand a chance! Fighters are often the star of the show in Wing Commander games, so it's nice to see the capships take center stage once in a while. I do wonder though if pilots attempting to land in the aft run into issues with all that engine flare... You can also see the Venture corvette in action here.
Now I want to show you my version of Tallahassee cruiser in action. Mission is the same - Kilrathi convoy, but now instead of Venture, cats have met a big guy with guns. Also I've updated GUI, turrets and mission objectives system.

Starship Tactics Checks In With Demo Video Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen is back to share the first gameplay video of his Wing Commander strategy mod, Starship Tactics. The clip shows off some Dorkir convoy raiding by a Confed corvette. This is actually a major role that the Ventures would have played during the war, although we so rarely get to see them engage in activity like this in the series. Corvette fans would do well to read up on Wing Commander Freedom Flight for more on the inner workings of these tight little capships.
Well, after loooooooong delay I'm coming back with update. Here is first video which contains gameplay. As you can see, I've started to use models from Klavs81's pack and the first one is Kilrathi Dorkier transport. Unfortunately these models are not very well imported into Unity but still I'm trying to bring them alive.

Strategy Mod's Tactical Display Finished Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen reports that the user interface is complete for the Starship Tactics strategy game. The latest revision removes some of the rounded edges and other modern space game flair in exchange for a more classical look that draws on games such as Wing Commander 3 and Privateer 2. Then it's all tied together by a strong shade of Confederation blue. You can compare how the menus have evolved over the past year in the shots below - the first image is newest - and provide feedback at the CIC Forums.

Annual Contest Voting In Full Swing Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

This is a reminder that the polls are still open for the CIC's Website & Fan Project of the Year awards. For a full rundown of the nominees and what made them stand out in 2014, check the original post here. If you found you way to this update on a mobile device and aren't seeing the poll option, open www.wcnews.com again in your browser without the /m/ suffix.


Annual Contest Voting Begins! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

January is already starting to get away from us, so without further delay, we're happy to kick off the annual Wing Commander Fan Project & Website of the Year contest. It's all for fun and there's no prize (besides a spiffy award graphic!), but we like to take this chance to recognize just a few of the fans who are out there year-round keeping up the war effort! The nominees are listed here, and you can vote once for each contest right from the page below.

    Website of the Year
  • Daedalus Station - The home base of the Flat Universe mod is a slick destination in its own right. They publish the Destiny's Way in-game magazine and host all the previews for the top down shooter.
  • Hangars B & C is a set of two virtual galleries to showcase his array of Confed & Kilrathi ships. Fans love to examine his designs, but without the site, most people wouldn't have an easy way to render up their own views to check out every angle.
  • HCl's Wing Commander Editing Site has long been the place to grab some of the most exotic patches and hacks for the Wing Commander series. The latest enhancement drastically improves the playability of Privateer 2 on modern systems.
  • Online Ship Viewer - HCl's newest website is another standalone virtual ship viewer. Modern browser technologies allow talented Wingnuts to set up web-based interfaces that would have required expensive specialized software in years past. This one lets fans check out the actual models from Armada, Wing 3 and Wing 4 - and not just fighter models!
  • Pix's Origin Adventures is the place to go for anything and everything Origin. Wing Commander fans have close ties to many other classic Origin properties, and it's great that other franchises - along with WC - are getting the attention they deserve here.
  • Wing Commander RPG has been one of the most steadily updated sites of the year. Capi is dedicated to near-weekly updates and status reports on the creation of the game's latest expansion campaign, Elegy of Sivar.
    Fan Project of the Year
  • Beat Hazard Ships - Shaggy spent a good part of 2014 adding the Confed and Kilrathi fighters from WC1 into Beat Hazard. The game is a top-down rhythm-based shooter, and the WC additions add a ton to the atmosphere!
  • Defiant Few - The year began with a new chapter of Wing Commander: Defiant Few. The award winning audio drama follows a band of Confederation pilots as they struggle to push the Nephilim back from the Gemini Sector. In addition to new episodes of the regular story, they also put out a special April Fools edition.
  • Flat Universe provided a steady stream of updates throughout the year, which culminated in a highly anticipated playable alpha test. The team has a ways to go before the game is complete, but they are already incorporating pilot feedback to improve the experience the next time out.
  • Klavs' Model Archive - After first creating the slick virtual 3D gallery mentioned aboved, Klavs posted a huge collection of models for fans to use. He's amassed a very comprehensive look at the fleets of Wing Commander all in one place. Quite a windfall for other emerging projects!
  • Prophecy Movie - This 2.5 hour presentation consolidates the highlights from both cutscenes and game flight into one package. Fans who are out of practice can now relive the experience from the comfort of their joystick-less desk or living room!
  • Russian Translation of WC4 is an ambitious effort to patch The Price of Freedom in a new language. Some of the hardest parts, recoding the HUD and captions, are complete, so the work that remains is mostly just lots of actual translation. Along the way, a caption bug has been fixed for everyone.
  • ScoobyDoo's Ships are creative new takes on classic Wing Commander ships. As dozens and dozens have been created, they've formed their own consistent style with some innovative new spaceframe elements.
  • Starship Tactics is a WC capship simulator that's heavy on strategy. Although real life war in Europe slowed development in 2014, Arraen is now hard at work and the project is back on track.
  • Whiplash's Hellcat - Whiplash's project to remake and restore his highly accurate wooden Hellcat model didn't cut any corners. Each step was carefully documented and shared with fans so they could see all the care and effort that goes into an art project of this quality. Fans who followed his construction could appreciate the final design more because they knew exactly what went into every tiny bit.
  • WCDX for Kilrathi Saga - GOG may have lessened the need to rely on KS for the earliest WC games, but the Kilrathi Saga still has some advantages that make it worth playing. Stinger's patch fixes basic compatibility, multitasking, resolution and more.

Strategy Mod Demonstrates Cruiser Engagement Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Starship Tactics is back in action. Arraen had to suspend development last year due to the war in Ukraine, but dedicated Wingnuts always persevere! As you can see from the new screenshots of the gorgeous Tallahassee below, the focus will be on capships and fleet engagements with the possibility of crew management added in. Progression in the game will allow players to create larger fleets of more capable warships. Arraen's got a realistic development plan in mind that is focused on getting the engine and multiplayer working before he considers too many additional features. That's the way to get things done!
New GUI, some additional shield effects. The Tallahassee class cruiser is fighting against two Kilrathi corvettes during attack on a Kilrathi station in one of the systems in Vega sector.

My main idea is to create a multiplayer war where each player should start from a small corvette and after endless battles and countless points of experience change ships like this: corvette -> destroyer -> cruiser -> battle cruiser -> battleship -> carrier. That's why I decided to develop some kind of sandbox game where you can play different tactics and different opponents each time.

WC Strategy Mod Back On Track Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen began work on a tribute to Wing Commander at the beginning of the year. His project is a WC-themed strategy game made in the Unity engine. Things were coming together nicely until March, when he posted this message: "Sorry, guys, due to Russian invasion at my country I put on hold this project. And there is too many other concerns associated with this. But as soon as the situation becomes clearer, I will continue the work. Hope it will be very soon." Arraen is a Wingnut from Ukraine, and his suddenly departure was understandable. Eight months later, we're happy to report that he and his WC mod are doing well! A small update on the game is available below. Wing Commander fans always persevere!
Well, guys, the project is not dead yet :) Thank you for all of yours good wishes. While our war situation goes worse I'm trying to do my best with the game.

For now I'm working on interface and battle rooms. Hope to show you my progress soon. For now just want to show you one screen with new design.

More Fan Project Ventures Pop Up Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has moved on from the Kilrathi corvettes in order to give Confed some similar warships. He's added the Venture as the latest fleet asset in his Unity-based WC strategy mod. With this in place, there are enough ships and game mechanics in place to start limited beta testing soon.
I continue creating content for the game. Today I want to present the next ship: Venture class corvette. It will be the starting class for Terran Confederation players. So for now 4 ships are ready in the game: 2 corvettes and 2 cruisers. I think it will be enough for the beta version.

Tribute Mod Adds Kamrani Gunboat Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has shown off the newest ship for his strategy-themed Unity game. Due perhaps to its prevalence in WC3, the Kilrathi Kamrani class corvette was at one point a relatively common design in fan projects. It's appeared somewhat less in recent mods as more projects focus on earlier Wing Commander eras. Although this is just a first cut at the vessel, it already looks pretty good, and it should fit right in with the other ships that will be included!
Just want to show you "first beta version" of the Kilrathi corvette. :) I know it far from ideal but work in progress.

It will be initial ship class for players who will choose Kilrathi side. Only three laser turrets and poor shields as weapons. I think it will be good "gun meat" in battles :)

Starship Tactics Mod Focused on the Action Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has provided a brief update on the status of his WC Tribute strategy game. Things like the final name and platforms that it will be available on are still to be determined, but he's clarified that this uncertainty is made possible because he's using the flexible Unity 3D engine. He is trying to prioritize development in such a way that gets a playable demo out to fellow fans more quickly. You can read more about the direction he's going below and at the CIC Forums.
Primarily I'm focused on creating multiplayer because it allows to avoid development of AI and gives the opportunity to create playable version quicker. So it means to kill monkeys in the name of Sivar quicker :)

Next I want to create 2-4 models of the ships. I need 2 corvettes (kilrathi and terran) and maybe 2 destroyers (1 for kilrathi and 1 for terran for game balance). And after that technical demo can be released. It will be playable version despite the fact that some bugs will still need to be fixed. :)

Tribute Tallahassee Tweaked Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Here's another look at the Wing Commander Tribute strategy game in the works. These shots show off the improved Tallahassee class cruiser. The colors are more in sync with the standard WC3 palette, and details for elements like engines, intakes and gun emplacements have a sharper look. There's also a look at a much more defined jumpline map. Look at all that space to defend and conquer!

I finished the map of Sol Sector. You can see it in the screens. Green systems are frendly, red - were occupied by kilrathi. the game is also almost fully playable. It means you can: - logon with test account,
- choose side (TC or KI),
- choose your predefined ship (for now only 1 ship for each side),
- choose system for battle,
- fire missiles and laser shells at another player or system's main base
- check results of the battle which are stored at DB.

Next I want to improve GUI and battle mode (update visual effects, ship physics).

For now my very big issue is to do (or to find :) ) good 3D models of ships. I'm currently working with very old models and giving them a new life. But it's quite hard for the developer. :) If someone can tell me where I can find models it would be a great.

Also some updates on the Tallahassee cruiser. For now it's my version of "old lady" with antennas and new missile launchers. Sure, the model is far away from ideal but work is in progress. Also there's a new Earth with atmosphere. How do you like it?

Any comments are welcome as usual :)

New Strategy Game is a Tribute to Wing Commander Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Update ID

Arraen has unveiled a new Wing Commander fan project. This one's a strategy/tactics game that will allow players to control fleets of familiar Confed and Kilrathi ships rather than pilot individual fighters. Multiplayer is planned, and there are even RPG elements on the drawing board that may allow players to gain experience that would control stats like damage or accuracy. The images below are just the beginning, and it looks like things are off to a pretty good start. As with any project in its initial stages, fellow fan feedback is very useful in helping to craft the direction of things to come. You can help provide feedback at the CIC Forums!
Wing Commander.

With these words many gamers, especially of the old school, imagine space battles where they command space fighters. Battles between people and intelligent cats thrilled gamers for many years. The saga has had a lot of official parts and also numerous fans’ mods developed in the universe for long time. And despite the fact that opposition between people and Kilrathi is over, the universe turned out to be so multiform that it continues to live. This project is a tribute to this great game and to some extent - its development.

So, the full game name is Startship Tactics: Wing Commander Tribute. Unlike the original idea of the saga as steering space fighters or bombers, the game provides the opportunity to control main ships of the space fleet – corvettes, destroyers, cruisers and even battleships. Huge ships will fight for stars systems. In the game there will be an opportunity to control separate ship systems such as canon and missile armaments, radars, engines and reactors.

Another special feature of this project is a multiplayer. Probably it will be the first opportunity for many to fight on the Kilrathi’s side and re-write history by capturing Earth and overwhelming the Terran Confederation. Multiplayer is based on the principle of separate rooms where each room is a battle for a separate star system.

It is planned to implement three sectors in the game: Sol, Vega and Kilrah. Battles will expand for star systems. Their occupation will help to reach the main aim – the enemy’s home planet.

Gamers will have an opportunity to develop his/her avatar to control bigger ships and receive experience in order to inflict more damage and shoot accurately.

Now the game is in active development, so many of its aspect will change and a lot will be added. But the main idea will remain unchanged: it's time for the Kilrathi to re-write history or for people to defend Earth again and to win a victory in Kilrah’s system.

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